Strength Training vs. Cardio… Which Is Better?

Ahhh… a question we hear often so let’s talk about it (or rather read about it).

When it comes to strength training vs. cardio, the short answer to this question is either! I know I am going to get eye rolls and die hard individuals advocating more towards one over the other but quite simply, neither is better than the other. Both are great and both help people reach specific goals. Also, choosing to do strength training over cardio or vice versa is way better than doing nothing at all!

Instead of asking which is better, it’s important to ask… What are my goals?

Both strength training and cardio offer great benefits. So let’s talk about the benefits of each and then you can make the choice whether strength training or cardio should be a priority in your routine!

Strength Training

It’s year of the muscles here at Shift!

Strength training or weight lifting helps to build muscle. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest on a day to day basis. #winning!

One of the phrases we hear most often from people is “Muscle weighs more than fat.” That’s not at all true. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. They are both a pound!

Muscle is much leaner than fat and therefore looks differently on our body. If you are looking to gain muscle while also losing fat, you may go through periods of time where you don’t see the scale change however your clothes will fit differently and you will likely see a change in inches lost.

If building muscle to look strong and more toned is your goal, it’s important to fuel your body appropriately with enough protein and carbohydrates to aid in the breakdown and rebuilding of your muscles.

Having lean muscle mass contributes to a variety of benefits including:

• Improved bone density

• Decreased risk for injury

• Improved blood glucose control

• Increased metabolic efficiency

• Improved energy

• Increased confidence

• Improve self esteem

• Decreased stress

And so much more! Strength training does not always have to include lifting heavy weights either. You gain increase muscle without using any equipment and working solely with your own body weight!

Cardio

I love the saying “cardio is hardio”. It certainly can be but anything worth doing should be a challenge!

Cardio activity focuses on increasing your heart rate. There are multiple different types of cardio training (interval vs. aerobic vs. fat burning) which all has to do with your heart rate zones. Without getting in to too much detail (we will save that for another blog), cardio training and the type of training you complete comes back to… yep, you’ve guessed it, your goals!

In general, cardio training burns more calories per session than strength training. With that said, it’s important to remember that strength training has you burning calories long after your session is complete.

There are multiple ways you can cardio train including running, cycling, rowing, swimming, etc. High Intensity Interval Training is also another form of cardio that has been shown to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. In fact we have a HIIT and core class here at Shift that yields one of the highest calorie burns out of any of our other classes.

Just like strength training, cardio has so many wonderful benefits which include:

• Strengthens your immune system

• Improves sleep

• Helps to regulate blood sugar

• Supports mental health

• Improves focus

• Helps to lower blood pressure

• Decreases your risk for heart disease

Just as with strength training, it’s really important to be sure to fuel your body with the appropriate nutrients to prepare your body for the demands you place on it as well as refuel afterwards.

Working with a fitness coach/nutrition coach can help you to develop a solid program based on your goals and your program will likely include both strength training and cardio activities. So instead of asking which is better, focus on your goals and then give us a call when you are ready to create an epic program that will yield your the results you are looking for!

Written by: Jackie Giese, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Physical Therapist Assistant